CSM Scrum Master Core Competencies Practice Question
During the Sprint Retrospective, the team identifies that they are too dependent on a single specialist for testing. What is the best way for the Scrum Master to help the team address this?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates commonly suggest hiring external contractors or complaining to management about resource constraints instead of empowering the team to solve the skills gap internally.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Facilitate a plan for cross-training and pairing on testing tasks.
The Scrum Master should facilitate a plan for the team to build cross-functional skills. By identifying the risk early, the team can begin to pair-program or cross-train, reducing the dependency. This is a core competency, as the Scrum Master's goal is to help the team become self-managing and resilient, ensuring that one individual's absence does not stop the entire team's delivery progress during a Sprint.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Hire more testers to support the specialist.
Why it's wrong here
Hiring is a slow process that doesn't solve the immediate bottleneck. It also increases team size, potentially adding complexity. The team should focus on cross-training existing members to handle testing tasks. This makes the team more versatile and resilient without the need for external resources or budget approval.
- ✓
Facilitate a plan for cross-training and pairing on testing tasks.
Why this is correct
Cross-training and pairing are the most effective ways to remove knowledge silos. By facilitating this during the Retrospective, the Scrum Master helps the team take ownership of their skills gap. This approach builds team cohesion and ensures that everyone is capable of contributing to different parts of the work.
- ✗
Tell the specialist to work overtime to finish testing.
Why it's wrong here
Asking for overtime is a short-term, unsustainable fix that leads to burnout. It also reinforces the dependency rather than solving it. A good Scrum Master focuses on sustainable development practices that allow the team to complete their work within standard hours by sharing the workload through improved team skills.
- ✗
Remove testing from the Definition of Done.
Why it's wrong here
Removing testing from the Definition of Done compromises product quality. This is never the right solution to a team dependency issue. The Scrum Master must ensure that quality standards remain high. The solution is to change how the team works to meet the standard, not to lower the standard.
About these practice questions
This CSM question is part of Courseiva's 312-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Scrum Alliance exam blueprint
This CSM practice question is part of Courseiva's free Scrum Alliance certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CSM exam.